


Aftermath

by YourAverageBookworm



Category: Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer
Genre: Gen, You Have Been Warned, also maybe an excess of cheesiness?, spoilers for TLG, this is just my take on some of the aftermath of what happened in TLG
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-15
Updated: 2014-05-15
Packaged: 2018-01-24 21:39:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1617968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YourAverageBookworm/pseuds/YourAverageBookworm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Not to state the obvious, but the world did technically end about seven months ago. Why are we sitting here sipping coffee as if nothing has happened?"</p><p>Because while some things have changed, some things haven't. Spoilers for TLG.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> This is a speculative post TLG fic that contains a decent amount of cheesiness (Maybe some day I'll figure out how to end a story without a corny, "the future is bright" line. Sadly, today is not that day.) mainly written because I was kind of stressed and missed writing for this fandom.
> 
> Slight AxH if you squint, but not really

Holly sipped at her sim-coffee lightly. “So how have the negotiations been going?”

Artemis snorted. “At this point, they’re hardly what you could call negotiations. It’s been mainly me trying to convince half the governments of the world that fairies exist and that you’re not dangerous.” He paused and smiled. “Although I must admit it’s a lot easier when I’m the owner of half the technology left in the world.”

Foaly wasn’t the only one who could be exceedingly paranoid. After Opal had tried to kill them all for the second time, Artemis had been sure to do a system sweep to eliminate any traces of technology that could have been possibly Koboi Industry produced. It hadn’t been easy- he’d had to either create his own or “borrow” from Foaly various machinery parts to replace what was lost- but it had definitely paid off in the end.

“What about you? How is the rebuilding?”

She shrugged. “To be honest, everyone’s been amazing. Trouble managed to organize any citizens willing to help into groups, and assigned each to a Captain. I’m even heading a clean-up group. Foaly’s been assisting in his own way, and Mulch… well, Mulch and a team of dwarves are ah, clearing the wreckage. All in all, we’ll have several major business buildings up again in about a week.” She frowned suddenly. “You aren’t drinking your sim-coffee.”

The tan-ish, bubbly liquid in his cup hardly looked like anything that could be classified as “coffee”, but Artemis gave Holly the benefit of the doubt and took a hesitant sip.

He spit it out a second later in what was probably an overly theatrical display. “This is disgusting. Are you sure you didn’t switch my coffee with stale water?”

Holly tried to look wounded, but she was grinning. “Hey, there’s no need to be insulting. We make by with what we have. Of course, what we have happens to be soybeans, cabbage juice, and a very small amount of actual coffee beans. Trust me, it tastes a lot better once you see the price of actual coffee.” She took a hearty swig.

Artemis shuddered. “Remind me to give you a cup of real coffee once this is all settled.”

“Hmm, that could be a while.”

And wasn’t that the truth? While rebuilding in Haven seemed to be going somewhat smoothly, Artemis was getting a daily head ache from dealing with some of the world leaders. Politicians. There was some irony to the fact that, with all that had been lost during the “Armageddon”, human selfishness and ignorance seemed to still be ubiquitous. But there were more important matters at hand, at least for the moment.

“Holly, why did you actually call me here?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well for one, why are we talking as if we’re sitting across a table in The Soy Bean?” It was the name of a popular coffee shop in Haven. The shop was one of Holly’s favorites in fact, partially because of its honesty, partially because she’d made her first arrest in it. There were some things you never forgot, and one of them was taking down a suspect with a splash of hot sim-coffee to the face.

Holly took a quick glance at their surroundings. They were sitting on one of the many hillsides behind Fowl Manor. What set this one apart was that it had a clear view of the wreckage of Dublin below.

Artemis continued. “Not to state the obvious, but the world did technically end about seven months ago. Why are we sitting here sipping coffee as if nothing has happened?”

For a sly, reserved person, Artemis could be extremely blunt when he wanted to. Holly sighed. “Truth? I wanted some sort of return to normalcy.”

“But we never used to get coffee together.”

“Exactly.” Holly paused. “Artemis, the only times we talked face-to-face would be when we were in some life-threatening situation. Don’t you think it’s strange that we never just… hung out?”

He considered this for a moment. “Mm, not really. You have your duties, I have mine. We’re not exactly carefree people.”

“But you’re one of my best friends, Artemis, and I’ve never really made time for you.”

Of course that wasn’t true, and they both knew it. Artemis could remember countless times he’d stayed up vid-chatting Holly about one of her cases or just talking. There was the Christmas after they’d returned from Hybras when she’d had unexpectedly shown up to keep him company. It had been a coping mechanism for the both of them. It was lonely being the only person you saw on a regular basis who had lost the last three years of their life.

There was the time Artemis had visited Haven at Foaly’s request and the incident with the goat (which was best left forgotten). There was Artemis’s failed surprise birthday party when he turned 16.

But Artemis could hear the edge of guilt in Holly’s voice, and he knew she wasn’t even considering any of those.

“Holly,” he said, his tone softer. “You’ve made as much time for me as you could, and I’m grateful for that.”

“But it’s not enough, is it?” She looked up at him, and Artemis saw what she wasn’t saying.

You were dead.

It was the simple fact that had overshadowed all of his interactions with his loved ones over the past month. To his parents and Butler, it was as if he’d died for the second time. But to Holly— Holly, who was quite emotional when it came down to it, who could be overly loyal and self-sacrificing for those she loved— it was her fault he had died.

“I know you don’t want other people to dwell on your death, Artemis, but it’s so hard for us not to.” She looked away. “Can we just…”

Artemis was infamously bad with expressing his emotions, but he reached over and squeezed her hand lightly.

Her gaze met his, and her mouth set. “I’m going to visit Fowl Manor more often. And I’m dragging you down to Haven, too. Foaly and Mulch want to see more of you and the Butlers.” The tone of her voice clearly said, We’re not arguing about this, and Artemis raised an eyebrow, slightly amused.

“Of course.”

Something in the set of Holly’s shoulders relaxed. “Good. Now drink your sim-coffee.”

Artemis rolled his eyes but took a grudging sip. “Yes, mother.”

Their exchange devolved into light banter, and Artemis couldn’t help but relax. It felt absurdly right somehow, to be sitting here drinking coffee with Holly even with the wreckage of the city below. The world as they knew it had ended, and yet he couldn’t recall a time he’d been more relaxed. Between the Opal’s reappearance and his Atlantis Complex, the past few years had been a whirlwind of anxiety and frantic activity.

There was a lull in the conversation Holly caught his eye and grinned suddenly. Artemis realized he was smiling back, almost on reflex. There would be many more moments like this—moments where he’d have time to just breathe and relax. Moments where he’d have the opportunity to make up his death to his family and friends.

And despite all that had happened and all the grief the years would most likely bring, as he sat here in the warmth of the sunlight with Holly, he found he was quite looking forward to them.


End file.
